Rotatable nail slicer gauge

ABSTRACT

A rotatable nail slicer gauge is disclosed. The rotatable nail slicer gauge includes a base member attached to a nail slicer. A main dial, having a centrally located mounting hole, is rotatably connected to the base member with a securing member. At least two gauge members extend vertically from the edge of the main dial and can be chosen to calibrate exact nail cutting lengths.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of manicure aids, and, in particular, to a rotatable nail gauge for nail slicers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the United States alone, the professional nail industry is a 6.4 billion dollar a year business, employing more than 300,000 professionals. Fast, easy, and reasonably priced service is a requirement in this competitive market. Customers desire quality service, and one sign of this service is accurately cut nails. As a result, numerous devices have been introduced into the market to cut nails evenly at a desired length, in little time.

A number of patents have been issued on precise nail cutting instruments. U.S. Patent Publication No. 20030019120 discloses a cap bearing measurement indicia that may be used independently, in conjunction with, or integrated into a fingernail file or other instrument to determine the length of a fingernail. The invention is designed to allow the user to measure the length of the fingernails, and trim the fingernails to desired lengths according to the measurements taken.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,375 discloses a nail clipper includes a gauge which determines the length of the nail being cut. The gauge is held by friction against one of the jaws of the clipper, and can slide back and forth to a desired position. The gauge includes a flange against which the fingertip is brought into abutment. In another embodiment, the flange includes a recess which mates with a fingertip. The latter embodiment prevents accidental cutting of the fingertip, and is especially suitable for use in cutting children's fingernails. In still another embodiment, the nail clipper resembles a guillotine, and a U-shaped gauge member slides back and forth in a holding device to determine the length of the nail to be cut. A finger holder connected to the gauge member provides secure contact between the fingertip and the gauge member. The invention substantially improves the efficiency with which artificial nails can be cut precisely to a desired length.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,259 discloses a nail having a somewhat V-shaped handle portion formed of a first upper handle and a second lower handle each of which is pivotally mounted with respect to the other, and movable toward the other. A nail holder, having an arcuate slot for the receipt of an artificial nail, extends forwardly from the lower handle. A cutter assembly having a forwardly disposed arcuate blade edge, is slidably mounted and interconnected to the upper handle's movement whereby it is actuated forwardly over the nail holder to carry out a cutting motion against a nail disposed in the nail holder's slot, upon the application of force to the two handles and moved rearwardly by a release of the grip of the upper portion. The apparatus also includes an elevation setter which may be used for controlling the size of cut of a nail inserted into the nail holder slot. A sizing tool may be employed with the elevation setter to preset the length of the nail to be worn.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,205 discloses a nail filing guide is provided for controlling the shape and quality of symmetry of a nail, particularly a fingernail. The nail filing guide comprises a digit rest and a shape wall; the shape wall having an outer contour defining a desired nail shape and a thickness size to accommodate the size of the nail. The outer contour of the wall has an angle established to shape a nail perpendicular to the growth pattern of the nail and a contour to accommodate the desired contour of the nail. Specific embodiments of the nail guides include a pointed contour, a blunt contour, a so-called opaque contour, and a round contour. Extending outward from the shape wall is a support porch for guiding a nail file rested against the support porch.

There is a need however, for a rotatable nail slicer gauge that can be installed on existing nail slicers, which will reliably cut nails at a pre-selected length, and is quick and easy to use.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotatable nail slicer gauge that can be installed on existing nail slicers.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rotatable nail slicer gauge that will reliably cut nails at a pre-selected length.

It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a rotatable nail slicer gauge that is quick and easy to use.

In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, a novel rotatable nail slicer gauge is disclosed. The rotatable nail slicer gauge includes a main dial having a centrally located mounting hole, at least two gauge members extending vertically from said main dial, which can be rotatably chosen to calibrate exact nail cutting lengths, and a securing member for securing said main dial to a nail slicer.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a novel rotatable nail slicer gauge is disclosed. The rotatable nail slicer gauge includes a base member, having a top side, bottom side, and a centrally located receiving hole running from said top side to said bottom side and affixed to the handle of a nail slicer below said nail slicer's blade, a main dial having a centrally located mounting hole, a securing member rotatably securing said main dial to said base member, and at least two gauge members extending perpendicularly from said main dial's surface's outer edge, which can be rotatably chosen to calibrate an exact nail cutting length.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a novel rotatable nail slicer gauge is disclosed. The rotatable nail slicer gauge includes a molded plastic base member glued to the handle of a nail slicer, below said nail slicer's slicing blade, having a top side angled towards the nail slicer's blade, bottom side, and a centrally located receiving hole running from said top side to said bottom side, a molded plastic securing clip, a molded plastic main dial having a circular center with six independent support arms extending from said circular center and a centrally located mounting hole, within said circular center, for clipping said molded plastic main dial to said molded plastic base member with said molded plastic securing clip, and six molded plastic gauge members, mounted on said molded plastic main dial's independent support arms, extending vertically, at different heights, from said molded plastic main dial, which can be rotatably chosen to calibrate an exact nail cutting length.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention a novel method of using a XYZ is disclosed. The method includes, first, setting a desired nail length, by turning the molded plastic main dial on the rotatable nail slicer gauge, until the preferred molded plastic gauge member is aligned slightly below the cutting blade of the nail slicer, second, placing a fingernail through the guillotine opening of the nail slicer, while resting the same finger's tip on said preferred molded plastic gauge member, third, cutting the fingernail with the nail slicer, with the finger's tip remaining on said preferred molded plastic gauge member, and finally, repeating the second and third steps each uncut nail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be better understood when read with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a rotatable nail slicer gauge in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective base view of the rotatable nail slicer gauge of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the rotatable nail slicer gauge of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to the same components across the several views, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a rotatable nail slicer gauge 10. The rotatable nail slicer gauge 10 includes a molded plastic base member 11, having a top side, bottom side, and a receiving hole running from the top side to the bottom side.

The base member's 11 bottom side is secured to the handle of a nail slicer 20. In a preferred embodiment, the base member 11 would be secured to the handle of a nail slicer 20 with semi-permanent glue. In alternate embodiments, screws, bolts, pins, rivets, grommets, clips, welds, or adhesives could be used to secure the base member 11 to various location on a nail slicer 20.

The rotatable nail slicer gauge 10 further includes a molded plastic main dial 12. The molded plastic main dial 12 has a centrally located mounting hole 13. In a preferred embodiment, a molded plastic securing clip 14 would be inserted into the molded plastic main dial's 12 centrally located mounting hole 13 and through the molded plastic base member's 11 receiving hole. This molded plastic securing clip 14 allows the molded plastic main dial 12 to be removed from one molded plastic base member 11 and inserted into another, while the molded plastic main dial 12 retains the molded plastic securing clip 14.

The molded plastic securing clip 14 has a shaft with a central split running its length, a retention cap larger than the molded main body's receiving hole connected to the top of the shaft, and a lip connected on the bottom edges of shaft. The molded plastic securing clip 14 would be pushed though molded plastic main dial's 12 mounting hole 13, the shaft would then compress along its spilt, and when pushed through the molded plastic base member's 11 receiving hole would widen and the lip would catch and secure the base of the molded plastic base member 11. In alternative embodiments, screws, bolts, pins, rivets, grommets, welds, or adhesives could be used to secure the molded plastic main dial 12 on the base member 11. In another alternate embodiment, the molded plastic main dial 12 could be rotatably secured directly to a nail slicer 20.

The molded plastic main dial 12 is further comprised of a circular center, with six independent molded plastic support arms 16 extending from the circular center, and a molded plastic gauge member 15 mounted on each of the molded plastic main body's 12 molded plastic support arms 16, extending perpendicularly from the molded plastic support arm's 16 surface. Each molded plastic gauge member 15 attached to the molded plastic support arms 16 of the molded plastic main dial 12 has a different length and can be rotatably chosen to calibrate an exact nail cutting length. In alternate embodiments, the number of molded plastic support arms, number of molded plastic gauge members 15, shape of the molded plastic main dial 12, and the location of the molded plastic gauge members 15 on the molded plastic main dial 12 could vary.

The molded plastic base member 11 would also be angled on its top side towards the nail slicer blade 21, to lower the clearance between the molded plastic gauge members 15 and the nail slicer's blade 21.

In a preferred embodiment the base member, main body, and securing clip would be constructed from molded plastic. In alternative embodiments these components could be constructed from other plastics, foam, rubber, metal, composites, glass, or wood.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a preferred method of using the rotatable nail slicer gauge 10 will be described. First, the molded plastic main dial 12 of the rotatable nail slicer gauge 10 is spun around the molded plastic securing clip 14, until the molded plastic gauge member 15 with the desired length is aligned parallel to and slightly below the guillotine opening 21 of the nail slicer 20. Second, a persons fingernail 13 is placed within the guillotine opening 21 of the nail slicer 20 and their finger is placed perpendicular to the guillotine opening 21, so that the finger's tip 32 rests upon the molded plastic gauge member 15. Third, the person's fingernail 31 is cut with the nail slicer 20, while their fingertip remains on the molded plastic gauge member 15. Finally, steps two and three are repeated for each nail that is desired to be cut at the same length.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 

1. A rotatable nail slicer gauge, comprising: a main dial having a centrally located mounting hole; at least two gauge members extending vertically from said main dial, which can be rotatably chosen to calibrate exact nail cutting lengths; and a securing member for securing said main dial to a nail slicer.
 2. The rotatable nail slicer gauge of claim 1, wherein said main dial is a circular disk, having said at least two gauge members extending perpendicularly from said disk's surface's outer edge.
 3. The rotatable nail slicer gauge of claim 2, wherein said securing member is comprised of a fastener chosen from a group including screws, bolts, pins, rivets, grommets, clips, welds, and adhesives.
 4. The rotatable nail slicer gauge of claim 3, wherein said securing member rotatably and removeably secures said main dial to a nail slicer.
 5. The rotatable nail slicer gauge of claim 4, wherein said main dial, at least two gauge members, and securing member are constructed from materials chosen from a group including plastic, foam, rubber, metal, composites, glass, or wood.
 6. A rotatable nail slicer gauge, comprising: a base member, having a top side, bottom side, and a centrally located receiving hole running from said top side to said bottom side and affixed to the handle of a nail slicer below said nail slicer's blade; a main dial having a centrally located mounting hole; a securing member rotatably securing said main dial to said base member; and at least two gauge members extending perpendicularly from said main dial's surface's outer edge, which can be rotatably chosen to calibrate an exact nail cutting length.
 7. The rotatable nail slicer gauge of claim 6, wherein said base member's top side is angled towards the nail slicer's blade, to lower the clearance between said mail dial's at least two gauge members and the nail slicer blade.
 8. The rotatable nail slicer gauge of claim 7, wherein said base member is affixed to a nail slicer by a least one of screws, bolts, pins, rivets, grommets, clips, welds, and adhesives.
 9. The rotatable nail slicer gauge of claim 8, wherein said main dial is a circular disk, having said at least two gauge members extending perpendicularly from said disk's surface's outer edge.
 10. The rotatable nail slicer gauge of claim 9, wherein said securing member is comprised of a fastener chosen from a group including screws, bolts, pins, rivets, grommets, clips, welds, and adhesives.
 11. The rotatable nail slicer gauge of claim 10, wherein said base member, securing member, main dial, and at least two gauge members are constructed from materials chosen from a group including plastic, foam, rubber, metal, composites, glass, or wood.
 12. A rotatable nail slicer gauge, comprising: a molded plastic base member glued to the handle of a nail slicer, below said nail slicer's slicing blade, having a top side angled towards the nail slicer's blade, bottom side, and a centrally located receiving hole running from said top side to said bottom side; a molded plastic securing clip; a molded plastic main dial having a circular center with six independent support arms extending from said circular center and a centrally located mounting hole, within said circular center, for clipping said molded plastic main dial to said molded plastic base member with said molded plastic securing clip; and six molded plastic gauge members, mounted on said molded plastic main dial's independent support arms, extending perpendicularly from said molded plastic main dial's surface's outer edge, at different heights, from said molded plastic main dial, which can be rotatably chosen to calibrate an exact nail cutting length.
 13. A method of cutting nails with a rotatable nail slicer gauge, comprising the steps of: a. setting a desired nail length, by turning the molded plastic main dial on the rotatable nail slicer gauge, until the molded plastic gauge member is aligned slightly below the cutting blade of the nail slicer; b. placing a fingernail through the guillotine opening of the nail slicer, while resting the same finger's tip on said molded plastic gauge member; c. cutting the fingernail with the nail slicer, with the finger's tip remaining on said molded plastic gauge member; and d. repeating steps b and c for each uncut nail. 